XPD/ERCC2 EXON 8 Polymorphisms: rarity and lack of significance in risk of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

Background: Inherited polymorphisms of DNA repair genes may contribute to genetic susceptibility to squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). The objective was to assess whether two polymorphisms in the nucleotide excision repair gene XPD (ERCC2) are markers of SCCHN risk.

Methods: We performed a hospital-based case-control study of 180 SCCHN patients and 400 cancer-free controls frequency matched on age, sex, smoking, and alcohol use.